Pull open the satiny, copper-toned hardcover of the oversize​ Genesis: Volume One, and leaf through its glossy, heavyweight pages. Chapter and verse illuminate the origins and philosophy of the world's newest luxury contender with inspirational meditations and artsy photos.

Global brand chief Manfred Fitzgerald personally penned the 67-page tome to motivate his staff and dealers. Part creation myth, part instruction manual, the text tackles such big questions as: What is Genesis? What is luxury? Who are our customers?

These are hardly academic concerns. Genesis faces a market challenge of biblical proportions.

The newly christened wannabe must differentiate itself from the mass-market Hyundai brand it was cleaved from in late 2015. And it must convince status-conscious buyers in an entrenched global luxury market that "made in Korea" has premium panache.

It won't be easy for a brand with next-to-no heritage to tackle the tradition of German stalwarts Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi, let alone Japan's trio of Lexus, Infiniti and Acura.

"We want to be a globally respected brand," Fitzgerald said during a tour of Hyundai Motor Group's global r&d center here. His glossy brand book "should open up your mind to what we're looking for."

To get going, Genesis is embracing its home market. And that is a dramatic change from the path pioneered by Japan's luxury rivals. Lexus, Infiniti and Acura all launched by largely ignoring their home market to focus primarily on the United States, even though Japan remains the world's third-largest in sales volume. Infiniti and Acura are not sold in Japan, while Lexus has struggled for success there years after its initial U.S. launch.

Fitzgerald is adamant that that was a strategic mistake for the Japanese.

"Some of those brands don't even have a homegrown success in their own country," he said. "Our origin is here in Korea. You first have to make it in your homeland."

Leveraging the domestic market will have some big advantages for Genesis. South Korea gives the brand a built-in head start in volume. The country's auto market is the world's 11th biggest overall and No. 10 for luxury sales.

And while South Korea opened years ago to imports, Korean consumers remain remarkably loyal to domestic favorite sons Hyundai and Kia.

"The Genesis brand is too new to be competitive in the U.S. and other regions, and hence the local market will act as a 'feeder' market of sorts," said Park Sangwon, an auto analyst with Heungkuk Securities in Seoul. "Genesis is eating into the import car category, somewhat successfully."

Indeed, an excited buzz surrounds the birth of a homegrown luxury brand.

Of the 150,000 Genesis vehicles sold globally since the brand's launch, three-quarters sold at home. Government, corporate and limousine fleets are snapping up Genesis G90 and G80 sedans.

Fitzgerald picked Seoul, over an international auto show, as the debut venue for the new G70 to tap the zeal. Genesis unveiled the sport sedan Sept. 15 at an open-air evening concert swarmed by thousands of fans in a carnival-like celebration of the country's upscale ambitions. American singer Gwen Stefani headlined the show, giving plenty of shoutouts to its sponsor.

"We are very proud of it," Lee Jeungsub, a 38-year-old engineer, said of Genesis after testing the driver's seat of a G70 on display at an upscale Seoul shopping mall. "We didn't have this kind of car five or 10 years ago. Their cars are improving much faster than we expected."